Politics
‘He thinks women are going to fall for this?’: Clinton blasts Trump abortion stance
By Jake Beardslee · November 29, 2023
In brief…
- Trump campaign reportedly believes he can position as moderate on abortion post-Roe despite Supreme Court appointees
- Clinton criticizes potential Trump abortion positioning pivot in tweet
- Trump touts Supreme Court picks but avoids firm policy stances on abortion restrictions
- Trump leads early 2024 GOP primary polls while facing some anti-abortion group criticism
Former President Donald Trump aims to position himself as a moderate on abortion rights despite appointing the Supreme Court justices whose majority opinion overturned Roe v. Wade, according to a recent Rolling Stone article. The report suggests Trump’s campaign plans to rebrand him as an acceptable middle-ground candidate on the divisive issue.
Trump’s potential 2024 opponent Hillary Clinton sharply criticized this strategy on Wednesday, posting on X: “He thinks women are going to fall for this?”
Many Republicans have struggled with the politics of abortion since the June decision ending the federal right to abortion. Democratic victories in the midterms have been partially attributed to the issue, leading some in the GOP to reconsider hardline stances. Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, seen as a rising challenger to Trump in the Republican primary, argues the party must find realistic policies that don’t alienate voters.
Trump himself has avoided questions about signing potential national abortion restrictions into law. He called Florida’s ban on abortion after 6 weeks a “terrible thing,” seemingly trying to appeal to both sides. This dancing around the issue has drawn some backlash from anti-abortion groups important in Republican primaries.
But the former president has also touted his Supreme Court picks in light of the Roe decision, betting that pride in the historic conservative victory will energize his base more than turning off moderates. And despite the complex politics, Trump remains the clear frontrunner for the 2024 GOP nomination in early polls.
The Biden campaign’s campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez recently slammed Trump for “bragging about his role in overturning Roe,” arguing “no one has done more to rip away women’s freedoms.”